Cane juice clarifier



2 Sheets-Sheet -1 A. K. SMITH CANE JUICE CLARIFIER Filed June 8, 1939 Inventor /l/f- A( Attorneys:

Jupe 25, 1940.

June 25, 1940.

A. K. SMITH cms: JUICE CLARIFIER Filed June 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 and Attorneys Patented June 25, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 CANE JUICE CLARIFIER Ashton K. Smith, Franklin, La. Application June 8, 1939, Serial No. 278,161

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in cane juice clarifying machines and has for its primary object to provide a device of this character which eliminates the use of any moving parts or agitators and in which the scum and sediment is removed in an efficient manner while at the same time providing means for drawing off the clear juice.

A further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is eihcient and reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain in operation and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view.

Figure 2 is a top plan view with parts broken away and shown in section, and

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view.

Referring now to the drawings in detail the numeral 5 designates a tank of square shape in cross section supported by legs or posts 6, the tank being closed on all sides, including the top, and having inwardly inclined bottom walls 'I 3o converging toward the center of the tank from the four sides thereof to provide four bottom sections, and having at the central portion thereof a sediment trap 8 depending downwardly from the bottom and bottom plate 9.

Arranged in the tank are a plurality of verticially spaced baliles III substantially in the form of funnels, the baiiles including sections arranged in successively vertically spaced relation above each of the four bottom sections vof the tank and each of the baffles are formed at their central portions with depending discharge spouts II, the spouts being of successively decreasing diameter in an upward direction.

One of the side walls of the tank is provided with vertically spaced openings I2 communicating with the interior ofthe tank above each of the respective baffles, said openings also providing communication with a chamber I3 formed on said side walls. The chamber I3 is open at its top and adjacent its upper portionv and ,in its outer side walls is a plurality of nipples I4 communicating with a feed pipe I5 from which the hot juice from lia-sh pot enters the chamber I3.

The chamber I3 constitutes a scum compartprovided with a removablev ment and is provided in its upper portion with a trough I6 having a ldrain opening I'I at one end thereof, the free edge of the trough being provided with a downwardly depending baffle I8 spaced between the adjacent wall of the tank and a the outer wall of the scum compartment and terminating in spaced relation above the bottom of the latter.

At the side of the tank opposite from the openings I2 are a plurality of drain pipes I9 comli.) municating with the tank between each of the baiiles I0 and a similar drain pipe 20 also communicates with the tank above the uppermost baie. Said uppermost baffle is arranged with its edge portion at the top of the tank and accord- 15 'ingly is provided with an opening 2'I adjacent the uppermost opening I2 in the side of the tank.

In the operation of the device hot juice from the flash pot enters the scum compartmentthrough the feed pipe I5 and the nipples I4, the 20 baliie I8 maintaining light iioating matter and scum in the outer portion of the compartment and the liquid level of the juice is maintained in said compartment to allow the floating matter to overflow into the trough I6. The juice flows 25 from the compartment I3 through the openings I2 into the main tank, the heavy material settling onto the inclined bailie IIJ and continuing down through the spout I I into the mud compartment or sediment trap 8. The clear juice is drawn 01T through any or all of the pipes I9 and 20 for conveying to the usual evaporator charge tank (not shown). The sediment collected in the trap 8 may be removed at suitable intervals.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is l 1. A clarifier of the class described comprising a main tank having an inclined bottom converging toward the center, a sediment trap depending from the center of said bottom, baliles coextensive with said bottom and spaced vertically in the tank in parallelism with the bottom, spouts depending irom the center of the baffles, a scum chamber at one side of the tank communicating with the interior of the tank above each bafe, a feed pipe for the chamber, discharge pipes connected to the tank above each baille and a vertical bale in said chamber having its lower edge spaced above the bottom of the chamber.

2. A clarifier of the class described comprising a main tank having an inclined bottom converga feed pipe for the chamber, discharge pipes connected to the tank above each baille and a vertical baille in said chamber having its lower edge spaced above the bottom of the chamber and a scum collectingr trough at the upper edge of said 3 vertical baille.

ASHTON K. SMITH. 

